


Love Unsought

by danceinmystorm



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: A lighthearted love story, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben Comes Home, Ben Solo has a crush, F/M, Kylo Ren is a pen name, Maz's Diner, Rey and Ben fall in love obviously, Rey has a five year old son, Single mom Rey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:21:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22916884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceinmystorm/pseuds/danceinmystorm
Summary: “What do you think you’re doing?”Ben’s brain took a few seconds to process what was going on.A beautiful woman had approached him.She smelled nice.She was wearing the same outfit as Rose so she must work here. The coffee pot in her hand was another clue.She spoke with a British accent.That British accent also sounded mad.Oh, shit.“Uh…”“Do you have a habit of sitting with little kids you don’t know? Well?”“Mom, this is Ben."
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 55
Kudos: 281





	1. You’re back for good this time?

_But rather reason thus with reason fetter._

_Love sought is good, but given unsought better._

_-Twelfth Night, Act 3, Scene 1, William Shakespeare_

It took most of the day and many, _many_ , trips from his car to the fourth floor, but at 6:00 PM that Sunday, Ben managed to get all of the belongings he’d packed into his new apartment. It was relatively small, two bedrooms and one-and-a-half bathrooms, a decent kitchen attached to a dining space, and a fine living room. He had only known large estates and penthouses in his life. But the smaller space just for him was exactly what he needed.

Ben moved around the apartment, noting what he needed to purchase sooner than later: _living room set, a wall-mounted TV, barstools until he got a dining table, a box-spring, a mattress, and a bed frame._ For now, he’d have to deal with the air mattress he’d purchased on his drive from California to Chandrilla, New York.

Ben Solo left his lofty place in Los Angeles, California the second his contract with First Order Publishing ended. At 12:00 AM on a Monday morning, he sent his Intent to Terminate Employment Agreement letter to his boss and by Sunday morning, he was in New York with a meeting to pick up his keys from the person he’d rented an apartment from three weeks before he left California. He left with only the stuff he could fit into his sizeable SUV. So boxes of clothes, bathroom stuff, kitchen, stuff, and books - mostly books, were what came with him to start his new life.

Or old life, really.

Because in Los Angeles, Ben Solo was Kylo Ren. The famous author. The writer of a hit trilogy that had a loyal following. HBO was still trying to obtain the rights to the series in order to produce a show. Ben refused to allow them to create anything out of his world - not because he didn’t want to see his work as a production - he wanted to be out of First Order first.

It was shortly prior to the release of the second installment that Ben realized that he’d made a big mistake agreeing to First Order publishing his life’s work. When his publisher and owner of First Order Anthony Snoke told him that he was contractually obligated to write more than just his _Star Wars_ series and only publish as his pen name Kylo Ren, Ben went back to review his contract.

He was to have the _Star Wars_ trilogy completed within ten years. In those ten years, he was required to create separate _Star Wars_ worlds that related to his original story but would be different entities of their own. He would have co-writers to “assist” him if he had any sort of writer’s block. He had to meet certain quarterly deadlines or legal action would be taken against him. They owned Kylo Ren. They owned Ben Solo.

He signed the contract at 18, not realizing that he’d signed the next ten years of his life doing anything that First Order asked of him. He profited handsomely, of course, something 18-year-old Ben Solo prioritized over all else. So while he had millions in his bank account and everything else he could desire, his freedom wasn’t one of them.

Until the clock hit midnight into a random Monday morning in the Fall.

When Ben was planning his escape from Los Angeles once his contract expired, _and not a minute later_ , there was only one place in his mind that he could escape. Sure, Snoke would know where he was and there’d be nothing to stop the menacing man from visiting him there and annoy the living shit out of him, but Ben knew in his heart that he was meant to return.

Even though he’d left this city over ten years ago with deep hatred in his heart, he couldn’t help but smile when he passed the sign that welcomed him home.

On his first night back in Chandrilla, Ben went to the corner convenience store. It was convenient, for sure. He was able to pick up a carton of eggs, a gallon of milk, a few boxes of cereal, a loaf of bread, and a six-pack of beer. A high school kid quietly checked out his items and bid him a ‘goodnight’ as he headed out the door with his loot.

Ben breathed a sigh of relief as he walked back to his apartment building with no other human interaction. He made himself scrambled eggs, used the toaster he’d brought with him for the bread, and opened one of his luke-warm beers and dined at the kitchen counter standing up.

He hadn’t felt happier in years.

Even when he woke up the following morning on a deflating air mattress, Ben’s mood could not be changed. He made his sad bed, taking the time to fold his blanket and re-set the pillows against the wall, and took a quick shower. The water pressure was nice and the temperature got as hot as he needed. The size of the bathroom was, thankfully, large enough for his large frame.

He didn’t bother doing anything to his hair other than tying it back. Wearing jogging pants and a dark shirt, he looked at the time. _6:45 AM._ He placed his house key in the pocket on his phone case and went for a run as the sun was creating an orange and pink mosaic in the sky.

Ben knew Chandrilla well. He’d been born there, his mother had been mayor for a few years, his father was a local hero. He knew all of the running trails and the best places to sit to watch the water. He also knew the best places to hide for hours to escape the solitude of his home.

He left Chandrilla temporarily in high school when his parents sent him to live with his reclusive uncle Luke in Tatooine several states away. Ben came back to Chandrilla for his senior year and left immediately after he graduated to attend Stanford University and sign with First Order Publishing.

Ben thought to himself about his proclivity to leave places rather quickly. Then he remembered this he was a writer, not a psychologist, and tried to refrain from analyzing what that habit meant.

After one hour of running a familiar route around Chandrilla, Ben went home, took another quick shower, and dressed casually. His stomach rumbled as he headed out the door. He knew exactly where to go for breakfast.

With muscle memory, Ben drove for ten minutes until he was pulling into a familiar parking lot. The place must’ve extended its walls, Ben thought, as he entered the building. The familiar chimes rang over his head. He smiled and breathed deeply. Even though the outside was different, the inside was more or less the same.

Looking around for a seat, Ben saw that he was in the midst of the morning breakfast rush. If Maz still kept to her usual schedule, Chandrilla was deprived of its legendary diner food for Sunday and opened up early on Monday to get everyone started off with the week correctly.

A server, small, dark-haired, with a cheeky smile passed him as she balanced two plates and told him she’d be with him in just a moment. Ben nodded to her in acknowledgment and looked around for an empty seat. He’d been so used to Maz’s Diner being a ‘sit where you want’ restaurant that when he saw an empty seat, he gravitated towards it.

Except the table was occupied by one other person. Or, half a person, really. Its occupant was a young boy, could be no older than five, reading a book and eating apple slices. Ben looked at the boy curiously, wondering why he was alone but then also thinking of himself at that age. Ben at five-years-old would probably be doing the same thing.

Before he could continue thinking of the boy sitting alone, a voice thundered everyone.

“Ben Solo!”

A woman came barrelling towards him and immediately met him with a hug. The top of Maz’s head barely met his chest. Regardless, Ben leaned down to return the strong hug.

“Hey Maz,” he said gently, kissing the top of her head.

Maz leaned back and smacked him on his arm. “It’s been _years_ , boy, and that’s all you have to say?”

“I’m sorry?” Ben continued, unsure. “I know it’s been a long time.”

“A long time?” Maz put her hands on her hips. “Boy, you’ve become a man! Last I saw you, you were some skinny, scrawny kid going to college. Look at you now! A man!”

Ben laughed sheepishly, running a hand through his long hair. “That’s what happened these last ten years I guess.”

“I wish men looked like you when I was your age! I would never have been bored!” Maz was examining him closely, pressing on his muscles. When she dared to try to lift his shirt to check out his abs, Ben slid away embarrassed. 

“I’m just kidding, boy,” Maz laughed at his red cheeks. “Teasing you is all.”

“Right,” Ben laughed. He looked around the full restaurant. “Think you can do a take-out order?”

“Nonsense,” Maz waved him off and pointed toward a table. “Go join that young man over there. He won’t mind the company. And the first breakfast I serve you in a decade will be enjoyed sitting down.”

Ben followed where Maz was pointing and saw that it was the table with the young boy. Maz was walking towards him, Ben’s arm grasped in her tight hold before he could protest.

“Kai,” Maz said gently as she roughly pushed Ben into the open seat. “You will have a guest this morning.”

Ben watched as the little boy’s eyes took a few seconds to lift from the book he was reading. The hazel eyes with specks of gold shined up to him while a dimpled smile graced his face. The boy, Kai as Maz had said, placed a bookmark between the pages and closed the book. Ben read the cover, _Rosie Revere, Engineer._

“Kai, this is Ben. Ben, this is Kai.”

Kai tentatively reached a hand out to him. Suppressing a laugh, Ben shook the boy’s hand. “Nice to meet you, Kai.”

“You too,” Kai’s small, high pitched voice said. “Are you Maz’s friend?”

“More like a son,” Maz told Kai. “I’ve known this boy since he was your age. Younger maybe.”

“Wow,” Kai replied. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight,” Ben answered. He watched as Maz walked away and left him with the boy. Or rather, left a boy with a stranger.

“Like my mom,” Kai said, opening his book back up, and turning his attention back down.

“Where...is your mom?” Ben found himself asking hesitantly, looking around the restaurant afraid that a woman would come at him ready to attack, understandably, for talking to their unattended child.

“She leaves early on Mondays,” Kai said without looking up. “Maz gets me up for school.”

_Five-year-olds know their days of the week?_ Ben found himself thinking. He also realized how little he knew about children. Or anyone else for that matter.

Not knowing what else to ask, Ben said, “What are you reading?”

This got Kai’s attention out from the book itself. “It’s about a girl named Rosie who likes to invent stuff. She’s pretty cool. My mom got me this book.”

“That’s awesome,” Ben said but then realized how unnatural it sounded coming out of his own mouth. “I mean, that’s pretty cool to read about.”

“Yeah,” Kai bit into an apple slice. “Rosie wants to build an airplane for her aunt. I like airplanes too. I want to fly one someday.”

_I did too, kid. You’ll probably get there._

Before he could respond, Ben was being served a full plate of food. Two eggs over medium, almost burnt hashbrowns, a few slices of bacon, and white toast already buttered. The sound of a glass followed soon after. Orange juice.

“Still have the same order?” Maz asked him with a wink.

“It’s never changed,” Ben smiled at her. Maz placed a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s good to have you home, boy,” she said sincerely. “Now. Have you called your mother?”

Ben looked away. He noticed Kai’s eyes lifted from his book but he looked like he was trying not to look at the conversation going on. “I haven’t,” Ben admitted. “I’m sure you’ll call her.”

“Oh you know it,” Maz said. “But she needs to hear from you. Your dad too. Wherever he is. When you call him, tell him to bring my boyfriend back.”

“Knowing Han and Chewie, they’re off having their adventures on the Falcon. I wouldn’t even know where to start to contact them.”

Maz leaned in and look straight into Ben’s eyes. He grew a little uncomfortable at the deep stare. He cleared his throat but Maz continued to look at him with a curious face. “You’re back for good this time?”

“Ye-es,” Ben said slowly, unsure of what else to say.

“Then call your mother,” Maz said seriously before walking away. Ben felt like he’d just been grounded.

“Are you in trouble?”

Kai’s voice brought him back to the moment. “No,” Ben laughed, picking up his fork.

“That’s how my mom sounds when she tells me to do something,” Kai replied. “It’s scary.”

Ben laughed genuinely and started digging into his food. Kai smiled up at him again and returned to his book. After a few quiet minutes and only the sound of the patrons around them, Ben heard someone calling the boy’s name.

The dark-haired little boy looked up and got off his chair like a rocket. He was stuffing his book into a backpack when a man approached the table.

“Ready for school, little man?”

Ben looked up and saw someone he presumed to be Kai’s father. While their only matching feature was the color of their hair, the way that the man ruffled the kid’s hair seemed like what a parent would do. Though Ben wasn’t entirely sure - it’d been a long time since he’d had any moments like that with his own father.

“Yeah!” Kai said excitedly and Ben couldn’t help but relish in the energy. As Kai put on a jacket, the man turned to Ben.

“Hi, I’m Poe,” the man said wearily, his hand extended, mirroring what Kai had done earlier. This man had to be Kai’s father.

Ben returned the handshake. “Ben.”

“You a friend of Rey’s or--”

Not sure who Rey was, Ben said, “I actually know Maz. I’ve known her since I was a kid.”

“Oh cool!” Poe replied, the excitement mirroring that of Kai’s. “I swear, Maz knows everyone in this town. I haven’t seen you around though.”

“I just moved back,” Ben told him. “Yesterday, actually. This is the first stop on the reunion tour.”

“That’s cool man. Hey, I gotta get the little dude to school. I’ll see you around?”

Ben nodded and watched as Poe and Kai walked hand-in-hand toward the exit, both shouting a goodbye to reach Maz who was in the kitchen. Ben smiled to himself and returned to his breakfast, enjoying the taste and reminiscing in its memories. It’s almost as if he’d never left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kai's book: [Rosie Revere, Engineer](https://www.amazon.com/Rosie-Revere-Engineer-Andrea-Beaty/dp/1419708457/ref=zg_bs_3285_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=E7NKJ7QBD5QVN0QMXJCF)


	2. Mom, this is Ben

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long gap. Updates should be pretty regular going forward. :) Thank you for taking the time to read this story!

Instead of going on his morning run, Ben was in his car at 6:30 AM driving to his old home. The Alderaan estate was just on the outskirts of Chandrilla. It had its own windy road leading up to the large gate and the keypad that granted entrance. He stared at the numbers and contemplated pressing the speaker option to alert his mother or his family’s butler Threepio that he was there. Wondering if his personal code would still work though, Ben found himself pressing in the time of day he was born. 0248.

_ “In the middle of the night, or really early in the morning depending on how you look at it,” said Leia Organa on the rare nights she was home to tuck in her only child. “2:48 AM.” _

The gate buzzed and slowly opened. Ben blinked in disbelief. His mother hadn’t removed his code. Changing the gear back to drive, Ben slowly made his way up the hill and toward the large estate.

Ben’s childhood home rivaled the grandness of a castle. It was built with old stone, its structure sturdy enough to withstand several centuries. Its history began with the Organa family in the early 1800s and continues its legacy with its current owner, Leia Organa. Rather than continuing with the Organa family tradition of being in politics, Leia turned her attention to a personal venture of book publishing. The Resistance Publishing Company became the family’s main source of income, surpassing the wealthy Organa trust.

So Ben’s decision to sign with First Order was a betrayal, among other things.

Heartbreak.

Stupid.

Revenge.

Ben sat parked at the roundabout in front of the grand main entrance. He contemplated for several minutes if he would enter. That was the reason he came all this way this early in the morning. He knew his mother would be awake. She was a habitual early riser like him. She’d probably leave the house around 7:30 to make it to the office around 9:00 at least. Hell, she was probably watching the security cameras focused on Ben’s idling car.

Grumbling to himself, Ben put the car back into drive and made his way off the property. He cursed to himself once he was halfway back to his apartment.

_ I’ll go back soon, _ Ben told himself.  _ Today just wasn’t the day. _

Rather than driving to his apartment, Ben was pulling into Maz’s parking lot. His subconscious must be hungry. Glancing at the time, it was the time he’d usually be eating breakfast anyways. And the breakfast he’d had yesterday had hit the spot. He was walking into the diner before he could change his mind.

This morning wasn’t as busy. There were a few open tables that he could see. But his eyes wandered to the table he’d occupied the day before. Kai was sitting there again, this time eating something in a bowl.

“Good morning,” the girl from yesterday greeted. Ben read her name tag.  _ Rose. _ “Table for one?”

“Actually, I think I’m going to go sit with a friend,” Ben told her, pointing to Kai’s table. Her eyes followed his point.

“Oh,” she said with furrowed brows. “Sure. Coffee?”

“Orange juice,” Ben smiled. “Can you tell Maz that Ben is here?”

“Ben,” Rose repeated with a smile. “Sure. I’ll be right there with your juice.”

Ben muttered a thanks and made his way over to the familiar table. When he pulled the chair back, Kai’s head snapped up.

The infectious, dimpled smile shined again. “Hi Ben!”

“Hey Kai,” he greeted in return. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Oatmeal,” Kai mumbled, sadly, poking at it with his spoon.

Ben suppressed a laugh. “Not a fan?”

“Not really,” the boy admitted. “But my mom says it’s a better breakfast than just an apple.”

“I’d have to agree,” Ben told him. “You could have her slice up some apples and put it in with the oatmeal, you know.”

“That’s so smart,” Kai said with a shocked look. “Maybe some cinnamon too.”

“Now you’re talking,” Ben joked. He turned his head to get Rose’s attention when he saw another waitress walking briskly towards him. Looking like she was out to kill.

_ Wow, she’s beautiful _ .

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

Ben’s brain took a few seconds to process what was going on.

A beautiful woman had approached him.

She smelled nice.

She was wearing the same outfit as Rose so she must work here. The coffee pot in her hand was another clue.

She spoke with a British accent.

That British accent also sounded mad.

_ Oh, shit. _

“Uh…”

“Do you have a habit of sitting with little kids you don’t know? Well?”

Before Ben could think of any words to defend himself from this vision of a woman, he heard Kai’s small voice.

“Mom, this is Ben,” the boy said.

The woman’s terrifying eye contact finally broke with Ben’s and he took a second to take a breath and gather himself. He never thought he’d see the day where a four-year-old boy would be his superhero.

“Ben, this is my mom.”

She turned back to him and raised her brows. “And how do you know my son?”

“Old friends,” Ben joked nervously. He knew it was probably a bad idea to joke. “Since yesterday.”

This did not ease the woman one bit. Ben cleared his throat. “I mean--”

“He’s Maz’s friend, mom,” Kai continued to defend him. Ben was amazed that he was still being saved by this woman’s child. He would’ve understood if his ass was kicked right then and there. “He said he just moved back here.”

This seemed to make the woman relax just a little. But not enough. “And he’s sitting with you because…?”

“I introduced them yesterday, Rey,” said Maz as she approached from behind. Ben’s plate was in one hand and the orange juice in another. She placed them on the table. “I’ve known this boy since he was a child. Ben has my full trust.”

“Not mine,” Ben heard Rey mutter under her breath. He feared that the coffee pot in her hand would end up being dumped over his head. 

“Rey Niima, Ben Solo,” Maz was saying. “Ben, this is Rey. Kai’s mom. Now be nice to each other.”

Ben watched as Rey glared at the older woman before turning her attention back to him. The scowl on her face softened. This allowed Ben to recognize the distinct similarities between mother and son. Their mouths upturned the same and their eyes shined the same. They both did a crinkly thing with their noses like a perpetual cat hair was bothering them like the titular character of  _ I Dream of Jeannie. _

“Sorry,” he heard her sigh. “You were just this random, handsome stranger I’d never seen before and you’re sitting with my son. My brain told me you were trying to kidnap him.”

_ Handsome? _

Instead of going down that slippery slope, Ben laughed instead. “Oh, I totally understand. I’m sorry I scared you. I’m honestly surprised you didn’t automatically dump the coffee on me to cause third-degree burns.”

Ben’s breath caught as he watched her roll her eyes playfully. “Oh please, it would just be second-degree burns.” The smile on her face made him blush.

She put down the pot of coffee on the table and held out a hand.  _ This family really likes handshakes _ . “Let’s start over. I’m Rey.”

Softly taking her hand, Ben tried not to think about the electricity he felt touching her skin. “I’m Ben.”

Their hands shook between them for longer than necessary. Only when the familiar voice of Poe shouting Kai’s name did they break apart.

“Who’s ready for school?”

“Me!” Kai bounced out of his chair like yesterday and started packing his things.

“Oh, hey man,” Poe said to Ben. “Nice to see you again.”

“LIkewise,” Ben replied, glancing between Rey and Poe. He couldn’t help but check their hands, searching for any wedding rings on ring fingers. Both of them had bare hands. But that meant nothing.

“Thanks for taking Kai to school,” Rey picked up the coffee pot and kissed Poe’s cheek. Ben turned away, embarrassed for eavesdropping. He focused on his breakfast.

“I work there, it’s not like I’m going out of my way,” Poe was saying with a smile. 

“You a teacher?” Ben couldn’t help but ask. 

“Yeah, second grade,” Poe answered. “Gremlins, all of them. But I love it.”

Ben could tell that Poe was being sincere. Seeing him interact with Kai showed that Poe was a natural with kids. Unlike himself, who wasn’t sure how to continue a conversation with Kai that wasn’t about food or his book.

“I wouldn’t be able to do it,” Rey said, looking at Ben with a smile. “I’d be exhausted.”

“My job is nothing compared to being a mom, going to school, and working full time so I’m not all that impressive,” Poe said and flashed a wink. Rey rolled her eyes again and Ben fought the urge to be jealous. “It’s time to go. Say bye to Mom and Ben.”

“Bye mom! Bye Ben!” Kai said happily, running over to give Rey a hug around her legs, slightly tipping her backward. 

Ben acted out of instinct and reached for the coffee pot on Rey’s right hand. Though she seemed to have a good grip on it, Ben still took it and placed it on the table. Rey’s hand lingered in the air, as if she were still holding the pot, but then she leaned down to give Kai a strong hug.

“Bye honey, be good,” she said into his hair. A kiss was placed on the boy’s cheek and Ben and Rey stood together watching Poe and Kai exit the diner.

“I...uh...gotta go back to work,” Rey stuttered, reaching for the coffee pot.

“Right, yeah,” Ben was flustered and shook a hand through his hair. “I got...breakfast.”

“Enjoy,” Rey smiled. “Let me know if you need anything.”

Ben tried not to let his eyes linger on Rey’s body walking away from him. But when he caught Maz’s eye as he turned back to his table, he knew he’d failed when Maz gave him a knowing smirk.


	3. I guess that’s what fanfiction is for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you are all staying safe. To those who cannot self-isolate due to work or other reasons, I am thinking of you.

You could call it a hunch or a feeling but Ben felt it when he got out of the shower that morning that his mother would call that day. He’d been in town not yet a full week but having seen Maz multiple times already and that one failed attempt to visit Alderaan meant that Leia was probably getting restless with his avoidance.

So when Ben checked his phone as he towel-dried his hair, the voicemail he was left with was not surprising.

_ “Benjamin, it’s your mother. Obviously. I’ve been told by a reliable source that you’re in town and have had several breakfasts already. But you have not come to see your mother. Sitting in your car outside the house does not count. I wanted you to come to me in your own time but since you are your father’s son, I know I have to initiate. Come to the office for lunch. 12 o’clock on the dot. My office hasn’t moved. We’ll get your favorite food that isn’t breakfast. Love you. See you then.” _

Ben exhaled once the message ended. Glancing at the clock, he wondered if he had time to go to Maz’s for breakfast and see the boy he’d become accustomed to talking to - certainly had nothing to do with his mother, no - but he was expecting furniture deliveries that morning. So instead Ben made himself a fried egg sandwich and waited.

By 11:00 his apartment finally had a set of couches, a plain rug, a TV on the wall, a fully made bed, and several boxes of other furniture that he’d have to assemble at some point. It still looked rather bare, no personality in it at all, but it at least didn’t echo as much. Not looking forward to assembling the several bookcases he bought, he grumbled on his way out the door.

By 11:45 he was standing in the elevator going up to the 10th floor where his mother’s office was located. He was thankful that this elevator,  _ his mother owned the building _ , didn’t have that terrible elevator music other buildings subjected him to. Like at First Order Publishing. Every elevator ride was like taking a ride toward your impending death.

Ben was snickering to himself when the elevator stopped at the 10th floor. He stepped out and was immediately greeted by a bright-eyed receptionist.

“Hi,” he greeted Ben with genuine enthusiasm. “Welcome to the Resistance.”

_ This sounds like a cult. _

“We’re not a cult,” the receptionist said. Ben flushed a little with embarrassment, not sure if he’d spoken aloud. But the man’s smile never waivered. “If the General’s schedule is correct, you must be Ben.”

“The General?” This time, Ben spoke his question aloud.

“Mrs. Organa was too formal,” he started saying as he came around the desk and beckoned Ben to follow. “Leia, too informal. Apparently it was Lando Calrissian that jokingly called her the General during a meeting years ago and it stuck.”

Memories of Uncle Lando teasing him about his middle school dance and giving him advice on asking some girl he had a crush on to the dance flashed behind his eyes. Ben shook his head when they neared the door that bore his mother’s name.

“I’m Beaumont, by the way,” the man said, shaking Ben’s hand before knocking on the door. “Your mother talks about you all the time. We’re big fans here.”

Ben resists the urge to grit his teeth when the door swings open. All five-foot-one of his imposing mother stands there, definitely older than she’d looked all those years ago when Ben moved away. Where Ben expected glaring eyes were soft ones, in a color that match his own.

Suddenly, Ben feels like the little boy who’d shove a book, any book, into his mother’s hand and begged for her to read to him. Sometimes she did. Most of the time she didn’t. Ben tried to forget the hurt he’d felt as a lonely child. He’d more than given the hurt back to his parents when he left them to join First Order.

“Ben,” she breathed. “You’re home.”

“Hi mom,” he said nervously.

With a grin that she’d probably adapted after being married to Han Solo for so long, Leia Organa replied, “It’s about goddamn time.”

* * *

“When Maz called me up and told me that you came to the restaurant, I thought that old woman was hallucinating,” Leia was saying. They sat in the cozy living area of her office on tufted sofas and vases of plants and flowers everywhere. Of course, there was a whole bookshelf wall just opposite them. Ben saw that they were mostly international copies of books published by the company. A shelf directly in the center though held some pictures in a frame. The frame was resting on a book, the spine displaying his pseudonym  _ Kylo Ren _ .

“But she mentioned that you left cash underneath your plate to pay her for breakfast and I knew she couldn’t be lying.”

Ben watched his father doing that during those rare times that he’d go out with his dad for meals. It was usually to Maz’s, their breakfast or dinner ‘dates’, and of course, Maz would refuse payment, claiming that she was merely feeding family, but Han would look over to Ben, place a finger over his lips and ‘shhhhh’ before placing a wad of bills under his clean plate and grabbing his son’s hand to make a quick escape.

“She would be out of business by now if our family didn’t pay her all those years,” Ben shrugged. “Have you been there lately?”

Leia shook her head. “It’s been a few months. Tell me, does Maz still rent out the other room to that young lady and her son?”

“You mean Rey and Kai?”

“So you’ve met them,” a playful smile graced Leia’s lips.

“Yes,” Ben says slowly, knowing his mother’s tone. “I didn’t realize that they lived with Maz.”

“Oh yes, even before the little boy was born,” Leia began the story. “Maz told me that just randomly, one day, a young woman wearing just a shirt, overalls, and raggedy shoes walked into her diner. She said she’d just left a job at a car shop, she’d just been fired when she told her employer that she was pregnant and needed a few days off because of her morning sickness. Maz gave her a job and a place to live right then and there. That little boy must be close to five now.”

Ben merely listened and nodded as his mother, clearly taken with Rey, explained the young mother’s past. What struggles she must have gone through, all those years ago and clearly having no support, Ben couldn’t imagine. He wondered where her family was, where Poe must’ve been, wondered why she was all alone at her greatest time of need.

“So,” Leia said, interrupting his thoughts. “I’d rather not sully our first conversation in ten years with talk about First Order. So I will just ask, are you doing well?”

“Better than I have been in years,” Ben admitted with a small smile. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to come back.”

His mother reached over to grasp his hand. His large hand dwarfed both of hers. He took the moment to run his thumb along the back of his mother’s soft hand; soft even after decades of tough work. 

“You are here now, Benjamin,” she said with eyes staring right back into him. “We will make up for lost time.”

Ben nodded, turning away slightly to hide the tears welling up in his eyes. Breaking the tension, Leia cleared her throat. “So I take it that you’ve found a place in Chandrila?”

Before Ben could tell his mother about the apartment he’d gotten, a knock on the door interrupted them. The door opened slightly and in came a casually-dressed young man, holding a folder with Resistance’s logo on it as well as a large paper bag. Must be the Thai food that Ben loved so much. 

“Finn,” Leia said brightly. “What can I do for you?”

Finn stepped in cautiously. “I’m sorry to interrupt, General. I’m here with the edits from Ms. Holdo. Since I was already on my way in, Beau asked me to bring your lunch that just got delivered.”

“Wonderful,” Leia beckoned him closer and Finn handed the folder to Leia and set down the food on the coffee table. “Finn, meet my son, Ben Solo.”

“You look familiar,” Ben said, shaking the man’s hand. “Have we met?”

“Ye-yes, sir,” Finn stuttered nervously. “I was previously employed by First Order. I worked under Gwen Phasma.”

Ben wished he could put this clearly-nervous man at ease. But he himself wasn’t the most socially-aware guy out there. Hell, he couldn’t even talk to kids, let alone adults. “I’m glad you found your way here,” Ben settled on saying, giving a sincere smile. “I’m sure my mother facilitates a much better work environment.”

“Much, much better,” Finn agrees with a laugh. “I do have to admit, sir. I’m surprised to see that you are not with First Order.”

Ben looked at his mother nervously. “I...uh, finally got out of my contract. Kylo Ren is no more.”

“That’s a shame,” Finn said bluntly. “I mean--, for the story. Not for you. I’m glad you left First Order too. It was like walking into a warzone every day. But everyone knew that Snoke wasn’t exactly...kind to you. But the story, yeah. I wish there would’ve been more stories.”

“I guess that’s what fanfiction is for,” Ben joked, eliciting a genuine laugh from Finn and his mother.

“I swear, I think my best friend reads that fanfiction stuff all of the time. I have a theory that she named her son after you, your pen name I mean.”

“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve heard someone name their kid Ren,” Ben shrugged.

“No, after Kylo. She named him Kai. K-A-I.”

Ben narrowed his eyes. Leia’s mind was turning just as Ben’s was. “Finn,” the General said from her desk. “Is that Rey’s Kai?”

“Yes,” Finn exclaimed happily. “Why? You guys know her?”


	4. Is that supposed to say 'eggs benedict'?

Ben wasn’t exactly sure what he should do with the information he got from Finn. If Finn was correct, Rey had named her child after him, or actually his author alter-ego. Finn could be wrong though, since Kai could be a name she found on her own. Ben wouldn’t _assume_ anything and definitely won’t _ask_ her about it – especially since they’d only exchanged a few words, most of which were accusing him of having malevolent intentions with her son so yeah, no, _we’re not there yet_ , Ben told himself as he walked towards Maz’s the following morning.

And it didn’t change anything at all – no, nothing at all. Sure, Ben found Rey attractive and intriguing, her son well behaved and adorable, but he knew nothing else about her. He didn’t even know if she was _single_ and even if she was single, she may not be _available._ Ben wouldn’t assume. He wouldn’t assume anything. He’d just get his breakfast, maybe get to say hi to the little boy that seemed to brighten everyone’s day and mind his own business.

Until he turned the corner and saw the subject of his thoughts, the _Star Wars_ fan herself, kneeling in front of a chalkboard sign and definitely looking aggravated. Ben approached slowly as to not startle her. The last thing he needed was to get back on her shit list.

“Motherfucking—”

“Good morning,” Ben greeted, slightly laughing at Rey’s choice of colorful words.

Rey scrambled to her feet, her face growing red. “Oh, hi.”

“Hi,” he said back. “You okay?”

Rey huffed and threw her piece of chalk down. Pointing to the chalkboard she said, “I have horrible handwriting. I don’t know why Maz has me write the specials on the board.”

Ben glanced down and yes, indeed, she did have terrible handwriting. “Is that supposed to say 'eggs benedict'?”

“Yes!” Rey smiled. “So you can read it?”

“Barely,” Ben shook his head. He tried not to smirk at Rey’s obvious annoyance. “You’re in luck though.”

“What does that mean?” Rey put a hand on her hip.

“I took a calligraphy class in college,” he admitted sheepishly. It wasn’t a skill he went around sharing with people, especially not with his coworkers at First Order. He knew someone like Hux would’ve mocked him for taking the class, let alone having a side hobby as a calligrapher. “It was an elective.”

“Sounds way more interesting than the electives they offer at the school I’m going to,” Rey replied. “Calligraphy takes a lot of skill. Patience. Artistic value that I certainly don’t have.”

“Oh come on, you make a mean sun,” Ben teased, pointing to the sad, yellow sun in the corner of the chalkboard.

“Did you come here just to make fun? Cause if so, I could turn you away and not serve you breakfast.” Guess it was her turn to tease now. Ben found himself blushing a bit at what he thought was flirting. He was definitely out of practice with that.

“I don’t mean to give you a hard time, I promise. Can I make it up to you by taking over the chalkboard?”

Rey squealed excitedly and all of a sudden, Ben felt her arms around his neck. He barely had the chance to wrap an arm around her waist to return the hug before she was pulling back.

“I’m so sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to get in your personal space like that. You’re just really saving my ass from embarrassment.”

“It’s okay,” Ben ran a hand through his hair, his nervous quirk. “I, uh, it’s no problem really. I’m not doing much lately anyways so any project to keep me busy is great.”

“Not working?” Rey asked. “Maz said you just came from Los Angeles. Taking some time off or something?”

_Or something_. “Yeah, I was…at the same place for over ten years over there. I thought it was time to come back here, closer to my family. Get a chance to breathe, you know?”

“That’s really nice, Ben,” Rey said sincerely. “I’m glad you can take some time for yourself.”

Before Ben could speak up, the door of the restaurant opened and out came a bouncing Kai wearing an airplane pilot’s cap. Behind him was a familiar face, Finn.

“Oh hey man,” Finn greeted Ben with a wave. The other hand was holding Kai’s, preventing him from running.

“Hi Ben!” Kai, still holding onto Finn’s hand, came over to wrap his free arm around Ben’s long legs.

“Hi buddy,” Ben smiled down at the little boy. He was surprised that he didn't recoil from the sudden intrusion of space. “Time for school?”

“Yeah! I get to feed the class spider today!”

Finn made a grossed-out face. Ben glanced at Rey who merely shrugged her shoulders. “My son loves spiders. He doesn’t get that from me. You two know each other?” Rey motioned between Ben and Finn.

The two men looked at each other and Finn spoke up first. “Yeah, we met yesterday. I…uh, we met at work.”

“Resistance Publishing,” Ben added. “My mom…works there. I was visiting.”

“Oh cool,” Rey said. “Finn’s a good friend of mine. He takes Kai to school some days. Kai, hold on a second, let me fix your jacket.”

As Rey knelt down to her son to fix the buttons on his coat, Finn motioned Ben over to stand a few feet away from the mother and son. “Hey, uh, can you not mention the Kai/Kylo thing to Rey?” Finn asked in a hushed tone. “It’s just a theory of mine. She never actually told me anything for sure. I don’t want to…embarrass her, you know? I guess, let it come up naturally, if it ever does.”

“Yeah for sure” Ben agreed. “I…I don’t think she knows who I am anyways. I’m trying to…move past that stuff, at least for now. Just be me.”

“I get it,” Finn clapped him on the back of the shoulder. “It’d be a good way to impress the ladies though. Especially that one.”

“I’m not trying to impress anyone.”

“Your goofy, love-struck face says otherwise. Yeah, that one.”

Ben glanced in his reflection in the window. He didn’t look any different, he thought. Regardless. “I…uh…we just met. And isn’t she with Kai’s dad? Poe? I’ve seen him picking up Kai to take him to class.”

“Poe isn’t Kai’s dad,” Finn said confusedly. Then a wicked smile graced his face. “What made you think that?”

_They greeted each other happily. Rey kissed his cheek. Kai seemed really comfortable with him._

Rey walked over with Kai and gave the little boy’s hand to Finn. She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.

_Oh. Maybe that’s how she just interacts with friends_. _Come to think of it, Kai seems comfortable with Finn too. He might just be that kind of kid who can get along with anyone, especially if he doesn't seem to mind me._

“Thanks for taking him to school, Finn,” Rey was saying, interrupting Ben’s thoughts. Looking over at Ben, she said, “Poe and Finn take Kai to school. I’m either in class or working here this early in the morning so I don’t have a chance to. But Kai and I are incredibly lucky that he has two wonderful uncles that help out.”

“Uncles,” Finn confirmed, glancing at Ben with a smirk. “Totally gay uncles.”

“Oh,” Ben couldn’t say much else. “That’s cool.”

“Yeah, super cool,” Finn said teasingly. “With Kai’s dad _not_ in the picture, Poe and I do what we can to help. But this _single_ mama is a force to be reckoned with; going to school, working full-time, _and_ being a mom. Isn’t she incredible, Ben?”

“Okay, okay, Tinder,” Rey started pushing Finn down the sidewalk. “Kai will be late to school if you keep this up. Thanks again!”

“I’m just saying,” Finn sing-songed as he walked away with Kai, hand-in-hand.

Ben felt embarrassed but upon seeing Rey’s mortified face as she turned to him, he knew who felt it the most. “I’m so sorry,” Rey covered her hands with her face. “Finn’s about as subtle as Mount Vesuvius.”

“It’s okay,” Ben laughed, putting his hands in his pockets. “He makes a good point though. I can't imagine keeping up with everything you have on your plate. Do you ever get a minute to yourself?”

“Not much,” Rey sighed, adjusting her serving apron. “But I can’t complain. I have a great kid. We’re healthy. We have a place to live and he’s not going hungry. Things could be way worse.”

Ben was in awe of the woman in front of him. The _single_ , _unattached_ woman he found attractive at first sight – hell, he may start believing in love at first sight because of her. Even if his first sight of her was one where she was about to kill him. He was sure he'd blown his first impression with her. But he couldn't help but be attracted to her, like a moth to a flame.

“Do you want to go out with me sometime?”

Ben was startled at his own brashness. He didn’t realize what he said until Rey’s brown eyes bugged out of her skull in shock.

So he tried to back track. “I mean—”

“Yes!”

_Wait, what?_ “Yes?”

“Yes,” Rey repeated, more assuredly this time. Nervously, she continued. “Yes. I mean, I don’t know when I’ll have a free night. So I can’t say when we would go out. Just that, yes, I do want to go out with you. Sometime.”

“Sometime,” Ben breathed, knowing the face Finn mentioned earlier, the lovestruck one, was surely all over. “Anytime. I can wait…until you’re free. No pressure.”

“Okay,” Rey looked down at her shoes but Ben could see her dimpled smile. “I…uh, should get back to work. Here.” She was scribbling something on the back of the paper with that day’s specials, the specials she was failing at writing on the chalkboard they’d long forgotten about.

“That’s my number,” she was saying as Ben took the paper. “In case…I have a free night, out of nowhere, you know? Or you know, you can text me about whatever. Or you don’t need to use it. You totally don’t have to—”

“I’ll text you. And you can…text me too. If you’re ever bored? Not that you have much time for anything, I’m sure there’s no boring second in your day, just…”

“We’ll talk,” Rey said quickly before leaning over to kiss him on his cheek. She lingered longer than she had with Poe or Finn, he noticed. He definitely noticed.

“I should…get back to work,” Rey repeated. She was flush with a pink hue as she pulled back.

“I should…start,” Ben lamely said, holding up the piece of paper and going to grab the abandoned chalk.

“Thanks again, for that. I’ll…see you around.” She walked into the diner with a smile glance over her shoulder. Ben felt his shoulders drop the tension he’d held there the entire time he was in her presence. As the tension dissipated, he felt a slight fluttering in his belly.

Butterflies, he realized. He had butterflies in his belly. From the gorgeous woman he’d just spent the last fifteen minutes talking to. Just thinking of her smile increased the fluttering he felt in his belly and his heart. It was a feeling he’d never had before, the feeling of new beginnings. The rebirth of himself, as Ben Solo, shedding his past as Kylo Ren. Here, with Rey, he could start again. Like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.

Smiling, he wiped away the leftover chalk on the board and started drawing a goddamn butterfly because why the hell not – he was sure Rey would like it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our two awkward beans continue to be awkward beans. I love it. I hope you're all enjoying this silly, little love story. I promise there is no Reylo angst here - just some cuteness between awkward Ben and badass mama Rey. I figure we all need some happiness in the midst of the darkness right now. Hope you guys are doing okay!
> 
> And to any of you who are public service workers - just anyone who doesn't have the ability to stay home for self-isolation, I thank you for all you do.


	5. There’s not much I wouldn’t do for a cinnamon roll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Working from home and all of my classes being from home has been tough! Enjoy this chapter :)

It takes about a month for Ben to realize that he memorized Rey’s routine. Not that he was actively paying attention to when she was there in the mornings for Maz’s breakfast rush or who picked up Kai for school. It just became something he’d noticed overtime as he spent breakfast at Maz’s every Monday to Saturday morning. Not Sundays since Maz was never open on Sundays.

On Mondays, Rey would be in class. Thermodynamics then Fluid Mechanics. Ben sat with Kai for his breakfast, both drinking a glass of orange juice, until Poe came along to bring him to school.

On Tuesdays, Rey would be there. On mornings with Rey, “Ben’s Usual” would already be waiting from him in the seat in front of Kai. One of those mornings, Ben joked with Maz that she must’ve had a sixth sense for his arrival. She’d told him that it must’ve been Rey who had the sixth sense since she’d always ask for his order before he’d even arrive. Finn would come in, wink at him and glance over to Kai’s mom, before taking the little boy’s hand to take him to school.

On Wednesdays, Rey would, once again, be in class. This time the class would be Statistical Quality Control and Design. He’d sit with Kai as usual but he’d wait for his “usual” until Finn, who’d clap him on the back as a greeting, would take Kai to school.

On Thursdays, “Ben’s Usual” would be there, as well as one for Kai, albeit half of the usual version. It seemed that once a week, Kai would order a “Ben” and it would be on Thursdays, though Ben isn’t sure why. But he was flattered nonetheless. Thursdays were relatively slower than other days so it allowed for Rey to sit with the two boys in little intervals before standing back up for serving and refills. Poe, who’d started catching onto Ben’s habit of sitting with Rey’s son after the first week, would playfully make heart hands or some phallic gesture when neither Niima were looking.

On Fridays, “Finn Days” as Kai had called it once, were, obviously, a morning when Finn would take Kai to school. Ben’s Usual would be waiting, along with an always enthusiastic and nose-in-book Kai.

This particular Friday morning though, as Ben soaked up some of the runny yolk with his toast, he overheard Rey speaking on the restaurant phone. A phone which still had a coiled cord and attached to the wall. Between Rey’s fingers he could see a bit of the Batman sticker he’d stuck on there all those years ago.

“Finn, it’s fine,” Rey was saying on the phone. “If you have the flu then you better not be coming around here with those germs.”

Ben laughed to himself.

“I…uh, I’ll figure something out,” she continued. “Depending on how busy we are, maybe I can spare thirty minutes and walk Kai myself.”

Ben looked around and saw that nearly all of the tables were full. He knew that she probably couldn’t spare a minute away from the restaurant seeing as it was only Rose and her this morning. He looked back to Rey who seemed to be coming to the conclusion as well.

Regardless though, Rey was adamant. “Finn, you stay in bed. You’ll at least have the weekend to hopefully get better and you won’t miss too much work. I know you’re still trying to make a good impression on the boss so at least it’s only one sick day.”

Ben turned his attention back to Kai, who was clumsily eating Honey Nut Cheerios while his attention was towards his book. This one was mostly pictures of war planes. It was a bit old, something from Ben’s collection, but he figured Kai would like it anyways. The little boy had it with him at breakfast for a straight week now.

He wondered if Rey would let him take Kai to school. If Chandrilla still only had one elementary school, he knew exactly where it was. He went there from Pre-K to fifth grade. But he was still a virtual stranger to Rey and Kai, even if he spent almost every morning with them. He wouldn’t blame Rey if she weren’t comfortable with the idea of him walking the small distance from Maz’s to Chandrilla Elementary.

By the time Ben was finished thinking of all of the ways he could ask Rey if she’d let him do this favor for her, she appeared at the table with a cinnamon roll on a plate.

“Ben.”

He looked up at her to see her dimpled smile. He melted.

“Yes, Rey?”

“Are you up for a bribe?”

He gulped down some water. “Depends on the bribe.”

“This fresh cinnamon roll,” she said as she wafted the plate in front of his nose. “For a small favor.”

Ben wasn’t a fan of cinnamon rolls. But he couldn’t help but keep this going when she smiled like that at him. “There’s not much I wouldn’t do for a cinnamon roll.”

Then Rey’s face changed as if she were bracing herself. “Then you wouldn’t mind taking Kai to school? I know you used to live here so I’m guessing you know where the school is and Finn has the flu and can’t get Kai so I thought—”

To interrupt Rey’s rambling, Ben grabbed her hand gently. “Rey, I definitely wouldn’t mind taking Kai to school. Yes, I use to go there. I could probably still get there blindfolded.”

“Well you wouldn’t have to be blindfolded,” she joked, tightening her grip around Ben’s hand. Their fingers mingled for a few seconds before clasping into a tight hold, allowing Ben’s thumb to run across the back of hers. “I really appreciate it.”

“It’s no problem,” he assured her. As the tops of her cheeks turned pink and she turned her head to smile, Ben fought the urge to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. It was that time of the morning when some of her hair would become untucked from the three buns running along the back of her head.

Rey placed the plate in front of Ben. “I guess I owe you this.”

“I don’t like cinnamon rolls,” he admitted, this time with his own sheepish grin.

“Then why did you—”

“I would’ve done what you asked, regardless of the favor, Rey. I actually overheard you on the phone and thought I’d offer to take Kai to school. I just wasn’t sure if you’d be comfortable with that.”

“Oh,” Rey furrowed her brows in confusion. “Ben, you know Kai probably just as much as Finn and Poe do. And I don’t trust Kai with just anyone. I’ll even call his teacher to make sure she knows whose bringing him.”

That made Ben feel good. And a little relieved. He had Rey’s trust. And he would do anything to keep it.

“Well little man,” Rey started gathering up all of Kai’s things. “Give me your book. It’s time to go to school.”

“Where’s Uncle Finn?” he asked, finally looking up from his book. It seemed that his attention was solely on the book rather than the discussions of the adults around him.

“Actually, Kai,” Rey said, kneeling down next to his chair. “Ben’s going to take you to school today because Finn is sick.”

“Uh oh, is Uncle Finn okay? Will Uncle Poe take care of him?”

“Yes, honey, Uncle Finn is fine and I’m sure Uncle Poe will make sure he will get okay. But Ben will take you to school this morning. Is that okay?”

“Yeah!” The little boy jumped out of his seat and grabbed his backpack from his mom’s hands. “I can show Ben our class spider!”

Ben made a face and glanced as Rey as he leaned down to help Kai with getting his jacket on while he simultaneously tried to get his backpack on.

“I told you before, he doesn’t get it from me,” Rey said about the excitement over the spider.

“Well I guess Kai will have to be brave for both of us,” Ben replied, taking Kai’s hand.

“Are you scared of spiders, Ben?” Kai asked, looking up.

“Terrified,” he told Kai. He winked at Rey.

“Well I think I can protect you,” Kai said, pulling Ben towards the door. “Come on!”

Ben looked back. “Kai, I think you should say bye to your mom first.”

“Oh yeah!” Kai ran over to Rey, already down on one knee to give her son a tight hug. Ben watched as his heart twisted in his chest. Rey placed a kiss on the top of Kai’s head.

“Off you go,” she said with a smile. “Be good for Ben, okay? Maybe he can walk you to school more if he says you were good.”

“I’ll be good! I promise! Come on Ben!”

Ben allowed himself to be dragged out of the diner, barely being able to wave goodbye to Rey. Once out on the street, Kai stopped tugging and started walking at a leisurely pace, keeping hold of Ben’s hand.

“How do you know where the school is?” Kai asked Ben as he jumped over cracks on the sidewalk.

“I used to go there,” Ben answered. “A long time ago. When I was your age.”

“When you were four?”

“That’s right.”

“So that was…” Ben watched as Kai used his other hand to count. It took a minute or so for Kai to pipe up. “Twenty-four years ago!”

“That’s right, buddy,” Ben said in amazement. “That was a good job.”

“Thanks,” Kai said proudly. “Mommy and I work on numbers a lot since she does numbers for her school too. But I don’t do it at my school.”

“Why not?”

“The numbers are too high,” Kai shrugged. “In class, we only go up to ten. Mommy and I do math up to fifty!”

Ben realized, once again, that he had no idea what kids his age would know or would be learning at school. Before he could ask about Kai’s teacher, the boy’s attention span had already moved on.

“Do you have a mommy _and_ a daddy?”

Ben paused for a second, “Yeah, I do.”

“That’s cool,” was Kai’s meager reaction.

When Kai stayed silent for a few minutes, Ben became concerned. He knew that Kai didn’t know his dad. The closest he had were his uncles and…now, him? He shook that thought out of his head. He wasn’t a father figure to this little boy – just because he had a crush on his mom didn’t mean anything. But as he held Kai’s hand, he knew he wanted to learn more about him and maybe have a place in his life like Poe and Finn.

“There’s a Mom day and a Dad day coming up at school,” Kai finally said, kicking a rock that was in his way. “My mom is coming to Mom day but I don’t have a dad for Dad day.”

Ben was unsure how to proceed with this. He felt too out of his comfort zone already, scared to say something that would make Kai ask more questions than he was prepared for or able to.

“I’m…I’m sure there are other kids that won’t have a mom there, or a dad,” Ben said slowly, scrunching up his face as if he’d accidentally told his mother that he _didn’t_ drink any alcohol from her stash when he clearly did.

“That’s true,” Kai nodded. “Did your dad go to Dad day?”

“He…did,” Ben replied. Knowing it was a lie, his dad was always too busy, he knew it was probably the right thing to say to an already disappointed little boy. “But your mom is going to Mom day, right? Are you going to make her something special?”

“Yes!” Ben sighed in relief with Kai’s demeanor changed completely. “I’m going to make her an airplane. Not a real airplane. But out of paper. I love airplanes!”

“I know buddy,” Ben laughed, super relieved of the turn of topics.

“There’s this museum that has a bunch of old airplanes,” Kai continued. “I told my mom that I want to go there for my birthday.”

“The Air and Space Museum?”

“You know it? Have you been there?”

_My uncle owns that place. My godfather is a stakeholder. One of my father’s old planes is there as a relic. I practically grew up there._ “I have,” Ben answers instead. “Maybe I can take you and your mom there one day.”

“Maybe for my birthday?” Kai asks.

“I’ll ask your mom,” Ben says, effectively rounding the conversation back to Rey. “If she says yes, then we will go.”

“Okay,” Kai says as if it was a definite yes.

Soon they were at the school, bringing back some brief memories for Ben. As Kai pulled him towards the direction of his classroom ( _“Miss Kaydel’s class!”_ ), Ben noticed that not much had changed since he’d last been in the school. The same, old, beige linoleum tiles still graced the floor. There was also an old trophy case that Ben knew held something with his name on it.

They finally arrived in Miss Kaydel’s classroom and Kai excitedly showed Ben his little cubby. “This is where our jackets and backpacks go,” he told Ben. “See? It has my name.”

“Good morning Kai! Who’s this?”

Ben turned around to see, presumably, Kai’s Pre-K teacher. She was brightly blonde, blue eyes, and wore a dress that screamed: “I work with four and five-year-olds.”

“Hi Miss Kaydel! This is Ben. Ben is my mom’s….” Ben watched as Kai’s brows furrowed like his mom’s.

“Friend,” Ben finished Kai’s sentence and held out a hand. “His uncles couldn’t bring him to school today so I volunteered.”

“Well, then I hope you volunteer more often, Ben.”

She held his hand a bit longer than was necessary. When Ben noticed Kaydel’s smile turn into something…different…he tore his hand away and cleared his throat.

“Hey buddy, can I see that spider now?” Ben asked, immediately turning his attention away from the friendly teacher.

“Yeah!” Kai grabbed Ben’s hand and started pulling him away. Ben, relieved, was grateful for this little buffer. “Promise you won’t get scared?”

Ben ruffled Kai’s hair and knelt down beside the little boy peering into the tank that was covered with a blanket. “I can’t promise that, buddy.”

“Well, you can hide behind me if you do get scared.”

Ben smiled, allowing himself to step closer to Kai as he pretended to have Kai as his shield. “Ready when you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our little cinnamon rolls!! <3
> 
> Thank you guys for leaving such lovely comments! I hope you're all doing okay during this time!


End file.
